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Intus Care Announces $3.1M in Funding to Support Scale-Up of Predictive Analytics Platform for Geriatric Populations

Intus Care

Intus Care, developer of an innovative predictive analytics platform designed for geriatric health, has secured $3.1 million in growth capital. The investment round included Preface Ventures, Jumpstart Nova and Collab Capital, Concrete Rose Capital, Brown Angel Group, Green Egg Ventures, and strategic angel investor Brynn Putnam. Notably, Marcus Whitney, managing partner of Jumpstart Nova, and Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner of Collab Capital, provided instrumental support for Intus Care’s mission. The company enables care providers to mitigate preventable high-utilization events, track quality interventions, and equip healthcare management teams with vital actionable insights to make informed decisions for senior patients to improve their health outcomes. This is the second round of seed funding for Intus Care, which previously raised $2.3M, bringing their total to $5.4M. “Intus Care is doing something important and truly unique in the way they empower elder care providers with the data necessary to improve the quality of care they can deliver,” said Marcus Whitney, founding partner of Jumpstart Nova. “We’re proud to invest in such a passionate and knowledgeable team with a technology that’s already exhibiting its ability to reduce hospitalizations and complications for senior citizens.” Intus Care was founded in 2019 by a team of Brown University undergraduates, who went on to graduate in 2021 after taking a hiatus to gain real-world work experience in various areas of eldercare. Its mission is to empower geriatric care providers through data to deliver more effective patient management and treatment for dual-eligible seniors -- some of the most socially vulnerable and clinically complex people in the U.S. Its digital healthcare platform integrates with electronic health records, claims, and accounting software to highlight clinical risks in patients and display organizational data. This offers a holistic view of each patient in an organization, allowing healthcare teams to better plan, manage, and provide quality care to the most vulnerable senior populations in our communities. “We’re so pleased to have esteemed investors who, like us, recognize the importance of ensuring that underserved seniors receive the quality care that they need and deserve,” said Robbie Felton CEO and co-founder, of Intus Care. “With their financial backing, Intus Care will advance our technology footprint and expand our services to better enable PACE organizations, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and other elder care providers to enter a new era in applying data-driven predictive analytics to prevent avoidable hospitalizations and health complications.” To date, Intus Care has gained notable traction and success in the eldercare space as the first-of-its-kind data platform to specialize in PACE and Medicare-Medicaid integrated program quality management, incorporating proprietary data models and integrating APIs. It is currently supporting PACE plans in seven states. A 60-patient Michigan-based PACE Program implemented the Intus Care platform in 2021 and saved ~$147,000 in three months by reducing its inpatient admission rate by 54%. Intus Care has recently entered a Letter of Understanding with the National Pace Association to pursue a strategic partnership, which will further its ability to help programs across the country improve the care they can provide. “The investors we have at the center of this fundraising round will add perspectives and expertise across a multitude of sectors that will be valuable as we continue to work towards our ultimate goal of enabling all dual-eligible patients in the country to receive the best care possible,” said Evan Jackson, chief operating officer, Intus Care. “We appreciate our investors’ support and are proud of how far our company has come since our early days while still students at Brown University.” The latest investment round will position the company to maximize greater technological opportunities through data, honing product strategy that will support a major scale-up of their current service offerings. They also plan to grow their human capital by attracting, hiring, and retaining strong talent committed to their mission. About Intus Care Intus Care has found a way to synthesize data to improve care, reducing hospitalizations for some of the most socially vulnerable and clinically complex patients in today’s healthcare system – senior citizens. The company, conceived by a group of Brown University undergraduate students passionate about elder care who have raised over $5M in funding, has created a unique data-driven predictive analytics platform designed for organizations such as PACE programs, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities, and home care agencies. It easily integrates with existing electronic health records, claims, and financial software to automatically pull, analyze and highlight participant risk and care-focused data, empowering clinicians, nurses, and other care providers to better anticipate and mitigate patient risk (such as falls, development of secondary conditions, etc.) and to make more informed decisions that ultimately improve patient care and outcomes. Learn more at intuscare.com. Contact Details SVM Public Relations Jordan Bouclin +1 401-490-9700 intuscare@svmpr.com Company Website https://www.intuscare.com/

April 20, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Future Of Research Revealed

Elsevier

Research launched today by Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics, reveals the challenges and opportunities facing researchers in a post-COVID-19 world. The findings are published in Elsevier’s Research Futures 2.0 report, which is free to download. The in-depth study of over 1,000 researchers globally was conducted in 2020 and 2021. It builds on the first Research Futures Report (2019) that considered what the world of research might look like in 10 years’ time. The new data highlights mounting pressure across publishing, funding, and for female researchers, while highlighting new opportunities in new funding sources, technology, and collaboration. Commenting on the research, Adrian Mulligan, Research Director at Elsevier, said: “It’s clear from the results of the Research Futures Report 2.0 that we’re at a point of change. There is uncertainty and added pressure on the research community because of the pandemic. Universities, governments, research information providers, and funders working collaboratively are best positioned to help researchers manage that pressure. Despite this uncertainty, researchers also believe there are long-term opportunities, most notably new levels of collaboration and openness across the research community, plus new sources of funding and technologies, which can help create a bright future for research.” Faster and more open knowledge in publishing The report shows the past two years have driven progress in both speed and openness in the communication of research. Around two-thirds (67%) of researchers globally now consider preprints a valued source of communication, up from 43% before the pandemic, a shift likely driven by the increased role of preprints in finding ways to tackle COVID-19. While preprints are becoming more popular, they have not benefited from the pivotal role of peer-review or had any additional value added to them by publishers. For example, 94% of the recorded articles published in Elsevier journals have content changes made during the editorial process, and 13% of submissions go through major changes 1. 54% of respondents said they planned to publish open access, which was 6% higher than in 2019. Women in research face new pressures and adapt While women in research were found to have been faster to adapt during the pandemic, they still face unique challenges. Elsevier’s research shows that they are: Expecting to collaborate more than before the pandemic – 64% expect to increase work with researchers across different scientific disciplines, up from 49% in 2020. Embracing technology faster than their male counterparts – 53% of women scientists think the use of technology in research will accelerate over the next two to five years versus 46% for men. More likely to share their research with the wider public than men – 60% of women versus 55% of men have shared their research publicly. Women reported having less time to do research during lockdowns, which could slow or hamper their future career prospects. 62% reported they were finding it difficult to find a good work-life balance during the pandemic, compared to just 50% of male researchers – a trend that could have significant negative long-term effects on the careers of women in research. Embracing new technologies Alongside collaboration, AI has been embraced more than ever during the past two years, though some caution remains. 16% of researchers are extensive users of AI in their research, and while high take-up in Computer Sciences skews that number (64% of computer scientists are heavy users), attitudes across several specialties have grown more positive. In Materials Science, which covers the structure and properties of materials, and the discovery of new materials and how they are made, 18% are now likely to be extensive AI users in their research, up from zero a year ago. In Chemistry, the number has grown from 2% to 19% and, in Maths, from 4% to 13% since 2020. Attitudes toward the use of AI in peer review are perhaps where we have seen the greatest shift in attitude. 21% of researchers agree they would read papers peer reviewed by AI, a 5-percentage point increase on 2019. Those aged 55 and under are the most willing to read AI-reviewed articles (21%), while those aged 56 and over have increased their willingness compared to a year ago (19%, up from 14% last year). At the same time, most researchers surveyed continue to object to AI peer review, with almost two in three unwilling to read such articles (58 percent) – a similar proportion as in 2020. Greater collaboration As teaching, publishing, and funding accelerate and increase the pressure on researchers, how they work has changed – and not necessarily for the worse. Researchers are collaborating more – just over half (52%) state that they are sharing more research data now than 2-3 years ago, and the number of researchers who say they are collaborating more than in the past has grown from 48% pre-pandemic to 63%. The gains are across geographies and across disciplines. Researchers in computer science have seen the biggest rise, with 76% agreeing that there is more collaboration involved in their projects than previously, a substantial rise from the 41% who agreed pre-pandemic. A harder funding landscape but new opportunities Despite the fight against COVID-19 placing a spotlight on the importance of research, funding continues to be a major concern for the research community, with half (50%) stating there is insufficient funding available in their field. Just one in four (24%) researchers believe there is enough funding for their work, and, worryingly, this figure has declined from nearly one in three (30%) in 2020. Researchers cite fewer funding sources, increased competition, changing priorities and the diversion of funds to COVID-19 related fields as the reasons behind this trend. Looking forward, researchers expect more money for research to become available from businesses, with 41% believing that corporate funding for research will increase. Government funding has also increased as a proportion of research budgets since 2019, which has led to a growth of funding across various subjects. For example, Materials Science research has seen the biggest growth in funding satisfaction in 2021, with 35% saying available funding is sufficient, almost three times the 12% who were satisfied with funding levels in 2020. --- Notes for editors 1 Elsevier data, 2021. Research Futures project methodology In total, 1,173 researchers responded to the survey globally in 2021 and 1,066 researchers in 2020. The survey was carried out by Elsevier online between July-August 2021 and in July 2020. Maximum error margin for 1,173 responses in 2021 is ± 2.4 percent and for 1,066 responses in 2020 is ± 2.5 percent at 90 percent confidence levels. Responses have been weighted to be representative of the global researcher population by country (UNESCO/OECD data). Base sizes shown in this report are unweighted, unless otherwise stated. The full methodology is available in the report. About Elsevier As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems. In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions and funders. Elsevier employs 8,700 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our over 2,700 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our over 43,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com Contact Details Elsevier Communications David Tucker +44 7920 536160 d.tucker@elsevier.com Company Website https://www.elsevier.com/

April 20, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Everstage raises $13M in Series A as they ramp revenue and customer numbers

Everstage

Everstage, a modern sales commission management platform, has today announced a $13M Series A funding round led by Elevation Capital. This follows a successful 6 months in which Everstage scaled the business with their revenue growing 5-fold while customer numbers have increased 6-fold. In August 2021, Everstage raised a $1.7M seed round from 3one4 Capital, who have doubled down on their investment in this round. Founded in mid-2020, Everstage was created to build a modern culture of trust, transparency and happiness among sales teams by providing real-time visibility of performance and commissions. Sales reps also use Everstage to forecast potential earnings from their deals pipeline, thereby, helping companies drive sales performance and align on rep behavior. Everstage has added several novel features over the last year such as instant commissions on Slack, contract management and gamification of incentives. “We have also seen a clear trend that it is not enough to be just another tracking tool. In this attention economy, we want to capture the rep’s pulse everyday. With our extensive gamification and personalized notifications management inside Slack and email, Everstage has really become a true way to retain and motivate rep towards performance goals” Siva Rajamani, Co-Founder and CEO of Everstage commented. “Offering transparency to reps is more important than ever to help motivate them and drive revenue growth. Industry studies [Gartner] found that only 24% of sellers can easily calculate their total variable compensation.” Everstage now has customers across four continents including companies like Chargebee, Postman, Nitro, Hackerrank, Clevertap. David Levanon, Senior Director & Head of Revenue Operations at Chargebee reflected: “When we evaluated commission management tools in the market, it was very clear that in addition to Everstage’s simple and intuitive UI, the implementation and onboarding process is extremely effortless. Their highly configurable plan designer and exciting new features for gamifying incentives and instant access to commissions data set them apart from other vendors". Siva Rajamani added: “We started Everstage because we identified several pain points with the existing legacy sales commission vendors in the market. The market need was clear – customers wanted an easy to set up and use product that was high on ongoing configurability. Our conviction for disrupting the market has only gone up in the last one year with the amount of customers choosing us over established players.” Everstage will use this funding round to expand teams and fully focus on capturing the global market demand for sales performance management. Akarsh Shrivastava, Principal at Elevation Capital commented: "With ever increasing data on GTM motions, companies are constantly looking to design creative incentive plans to drive sales performance. We were super impressed at how unlike the current legacy vendors, Everstage, elegantly allowed companies to design and manage even the most complex plans, while ensuring a modern UI/UX and consumer app like experience. Super excited to back the Everstage team as they build the RevOps platform of the future" About Everstage Everstage is a modern sales commissions management platform. Founded in 2020, Everstage has quickly established itself as the go-to platform for companies looking to automate their commissions process, with customers now across four continents. Before starting Everstage with Vivek Suriyamoorthy, the startup’s chief technology officer, Rajamani served as the head of business SaaS provider Freshworks’ global revenue operations team, working closely with sales representatives. During his tenure, Freshworks’ annual recurring revenue grew from $30 million a year to $300 million. About Elevation Capital Elevation Capital is a leading venture capital firm which provides seed and early stage capital for emerging companies in India. Elevation Capital has been investing in India since 2002 and is currently investing out of its eight pool of capital. The firm is led by Co-Managing Partners Ravi Adusumalli and Mukul Arora, along with three Managing Directors Mridul Arora, Deepak Gaur and Mayank Khanduja. The firm has invested in over 150 companies across Consumer Internet, SaaS, Fintech, D2C, Edtech, Healthtech and Web3/Crypto, and has offices in Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Salt Lake City. Contact Details Everstage Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.everstage.com/

April 20, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Issuer Pixel Brings B2B Video/Audio Database and Crowd Sourced Indexing System to Market

Issuer Pixel

Issuer Pixel a Video-centric, B2B, crowd-sourced video indexing, networking and sharing platform, is connecting companies to the world. The platform consists of a video/audio database with crowd-sourced indexing and extremely robust search capability; a video/audio library with total content controls; an active visibility and a global distribution channel for media content targeting global exposure; and a communication networking system (company-to-company and user-to-company). While the volume of digital content has grown exponentially in recent years, emerging, small mid-sized and large companies globally, across all industries have struggled to gain meaningful exposure with their own video and audio, largely due to the absence of a platform dedicated solely to business content to enhance business visibility. With today’s announcement, Issuer Pixel is tackling and solving this challenge head-on. “This is not just a big step for our company, it’s really a huge leap forward for the corporate video and audio content space as a whole, and a new level of opportunity for companies worldwide,” said CEO David N. Baker. “With our new Video/Audio Indexing system, companies will be able to store and precisely index all of their digital content and get it right in front of the viewers they’ve been struggling to reach.” The Issuer Pixel Video/Audio Database, built on patented technology, gives companies, suppliers, consumers, investors, and partners the ability to store, search, share, and distribute corporate media content with an unmatched level of capability: More than 8 billion search combinations More than 125,000 industry-specific categories More than 70 Search Criteria for Video/Audio More than 1,250 Dropdown Fields Within Search System Advanced filters for customizable searches based on company size, region, earnings and dividends, performance indicators, listing status, ownership structure and more Where most existing video platforms are a mix of entertainment and uncategorized B2C content, Issuer Pixel is the first global platform built specifically to support the needs of large companies through to small companies with a high volume of internal and external video/audio content. “We know companies have a hard time cutting through the noise of everything else that’s out there on social media and other video sites to find the media they are looking for, “said Baker. “Issuer Pixel is the first platform that truly harnesses the power of video and audio crowd sourced indexing to let companies to find or be found.” With Issuer Pixel’s Video/Audio Crowd Sourced Indexing capability, companies can store and categorize all of their video and audio content in a central repository with the flexibility to manage privacy, viewability, and sharability. In addition to helping companies meet their internal organization needs, the unique Issuer Pixel platform provides more exposure by delivering corporate video and audio to businesses and consumers who are hungry for content: Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research suggests a one-minute video is worth 1.8 million words!" A memorable, captivating video can encourage purchasing by 97% and increase brand recognition by 139% 95% of consumers have reported watching a video to learn more about a product or service and 81% of them have been convinced to invest in a particular brand 59% of executives prefer video to reading text 82% of all internet searches are for video The average cost of SEO for small businesses is $750 to $2,000 per month or $5,000-30,000 for a one-time project. The Issuer Pixel platform provides SEO benefits to CMOs and business strategists who will experience a noticeable uptick in SEO performance and rankings, as well as expanded brand visibility and recognition. Attract more visitors by completing accurate company profiles and content classifications for a long-term directory and additional resource links Increase discoverability by search engine bots with each additional webpage built along with backlinks to existing webpages Upload video/audio content for an increase in organic rankings Multiply brand name exposure and recognition Complete social presence form increases organic social media traffic Multiply effectiveness via one click sharing to post content once to multiple social sites “We’re excited to invite more corporate clients globally to partner and grow with us,” said Baker. “If you have video and audio finability, visibility and distribution needs with the need to be found, or if you need a direct and relevant channel to gain more meaningful exposure, Issuer Pixel is for you.” Interested parties can request an invitation by visiting Issuer Pixel: https://issuerpixel.com ISSUER PIXEL MISSION: To enable every company in the world to be found. To empower companies to create, communicate and collaborate, utilizing the power of video and audio for global exposure. To democratize the ability of companies, venture stage, small cap and micro-cap, foreign private issuers, companies of any size, at any stage, in any country, to utilize their video and audio, to gain awareness, establish sponsorship, forge partnerships, create supply chain relationships and access capital. We are harvesting unstructured data of video and audio and harnessing the power of relevance and congruity to find or be found. Contact Details Issuer Pixel Inc. hello@issuerpixel.com hello@issuerpixel.com Company Website https://issuerpixel.com

April 20, 2022 08:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time

LawPay Announces ClientCredit, Buy Now Pay Later Payment Option for Legal Industry, is Now Accessible for LawPay Customers

LawPay

LawPay, the leading online payment solution for legal professionals, has announced the new payment option, ClientCredit, is now accessible to all customers. Previously in beta testing, ClientCredit was officially announced by the leader in legal payments in September 2021. ClientCredit is exclusively available through LawPay and allows individual clients to pay for legal services over time, while firms receive 100% of their invoiced amount upfront. The ClientCredit option is available for individuals that are looking for more flexibility on payments and will allow them to select the attorney they want based on their needs. With a simple application process, ClientCredit users will receive an instant loan decision allowing them to proceed with legal payments. "It [ClientCredit] has been fantastic so far,” said the law firm that accepted the first ClientCredit payment via LawPay. “It lets us focus on the cases without the hassle of running our own collections. We are offering this to every new client." As the increase in online payments continues to rise, this flexible payment option through LawPay will allow law firms to: Get paid faster and more predictably Expand the payment options for the firm’s client base, offering flexibility when it comes to choosing how the clients pay Spend more time focusing on clients, and less time on chasing payments “ClientCredit allows our LawPay customers to make their services more accessible to their customers by providing the ability to pay over time for services. We’ve had nearly 1,000 law firms onboarded to our beta who are now able to offer ClientCredit to their clients, which shows the high demand of this BNPL solution,” said Dru Armstrong, CEO of LawPay. ClientCredit is now available to existing and new LawPay customers. For more information on how to sign-up for LawPay, visit: https://www.lawpay.com/sign-up/. About LawPay LawPay was developed specifically to help law firms streamline billings and collections, providing a simple, secure solution for legal clients to pay their bills. LawPay is the industry leader in legal payments, providing a cost-effective solution for more than 50,000 law firms around the country. It's available through all 50 state bars, 60+ local and specialty bars and the ABA as a vetted and approved payment solution for the legal industry. LawPay is also the ALA’s Exclusive VIP Partner for Payment Processing. Learn more at lawpay.com. LawPay was developed specifically to help law firms streamline billings and collections, providing a simple, secure solution for legal clients to pay their bills. Contact Details Keely Leonard +1 512-368-8988 kleonard@affinipay.com Company Website https://www.lawpay.com/

April 19, 2022 10:28 AM Central Daylight Time

38-Year Printing Business Avante Print Center Converts to International Minute Press Franchise in Mesa, Arizona

Minuteman Press International Inc

For nearly 38 years, Carl Denti and his family operated their independent print shop Avante Print Center. In Feb. 2022, Carl sold the business to new owners Devin and John Weiss through Minuteman Press International’s conversion program, which connects sellers with qualified buyers. Carl says, “It was time for me to join my wife Patricia in retirement and I think the transition to International Minute Press has gone very well. I needed to like the people who bought the business and Devin and John are great. My daughter Renee has stayed on working in the business and we also have employees with 25 years of tenure, so it was important for us to be comfortable with everything.” Devin and John have rebranded as International Minute Press in Mesa, AZ, and are operating out of the same location at 218 West Hampton Avenue, Unit 13 that was home to Avante Print Center. Devin says, “We believe owning a business gives us a real sense of pride. By purchasing this established business, we strive to honor our clients, our community, and our staff with continued personalized service and outstanding support.” History of the Business On March 27 th, 1984, Carl Denti and his wife Patricia opened Avante Print Center in Mesa. Carl shares, “I had owned a previous business in Kansas City that I sold. We moved to Arizona and at that time I decided to invest in another business. I told my accountant I didn’t want anything in credit collections (which I did for 15 years) and I didn’t want to own a food-related business. One of the things he came up with was printing.” He adds, “Patricia was very influential in having us go into the printing industry as well. She previously had worked for Hallmark in Kansas City doing calligraphy, and she wanted something we could do together. In our first full year in business together, we made a 39.8% profit.” While printing proved to be a viable business for Carl and Patricia, he also appreciated the freedom it afforded him to pursue other passions. Carl says, “From 1992 – 2021, I also served as the pastor of a church in Arizona, which I never really considered to be work plus it didn’t really pay the bills. Printing was an easy business to market and sell, and I felt it had easier customer acquisition than other industries.” Over the years, Avante Print Center became a second-generation family business. Carl explains, “Patricia and I worked together in the business until she retired a few years ago, and my daughter Renee also worked with us and is still working in the business today even after it was sold.” Growing the Business For the 37-plus years he was in business, Carl operated on four key principles. He says, “No matter what business you own, for me the principles never change. We built Avante Print Center following these principles: Customer service was the apex. We decided that no one would out-service us. When we said we were going to do something, we did it. My goal was to get at least 98% (if not 100%) of all jobs out on time and done right. My definition of quality is that the job has to be accepted by the customer, that they will be happy with it and order it again, and that they will tell someone about the work that we did and refer our business. You have to be able to go after the market and you have to sell. One of the problems people run into when starting a business is that their goal is to simply unlock their doors. Instead, your goal needs to be to make a profit, which takes a lot more than turning the key and turning on lights. Know your numbers and live by your numbers. It’s as simple as that.” Selling the Business While Carl was thinking of retiring at some point, he actually wasn’t actively pursuing a sale of his printing business. He explains, “I did not have the business listed for sale but I’ve known Jack Panzer (Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President) for approximately eight years. When I received a letter and flyer in the mail that Jack could help sell my business, I thought that was very smart of Minuteman Press International do reach out. Jack was very laid back whenever we spoke, and he was always open and honest along with being knowledgeable about the industry.” At the beginning of 2021, the timing was right. Carl shares, “In January 2021, Jack approached me with a qualified buyer that he thought could be a fit for my shop. I told him what it would cost if someone wants to buy our business. I also consulted with my daughter Renee, who decided she didn’t want to take over the business. We started the sales process in March 2021 and it was finished by Feb. 2022.” As for the transition to the new owners, Carl says, “I think the transition has gone very well. I needed to like the people who bought the business and Devin and John Weiss are great. Renee has stayed on working in the business and we also have employees with 25 years of tenure, so it was important for us to be comfortable with everything.” “Jack Panzer is a terrific guy from top to bottom. He’s very transparent and open as is the team at Minuteman Press International. I don’t think there’s a better way to sell your business and here’s why: 1. You’re not paying any commission; 2. You’re working with a well-established 45-year company in Minuteman Press International; and 3. Your buyer is going to have a much better chance of succeeding with the support they are getting. If they succeed, then your employees will be taken care of… and that really means a lot to us.” -Carl Denti, Retiring Owner, Avante Print Center (now International Minute Press, Mesa, AZ Meet the New Owners Devin and John Weiss are no strangers to owning a business. Devin says, “ John and I have owned several diverse businesses but most recently I owned a dance studio for 25 years. When John and I met approximately 10 years ago, we started a business together shortly after, that we continue to operate.” When the opportunity came to buy an established business while also receiving additional support, Devin says, “Honestly, it was a no brainer. We had planned to open an International Minute Press in the area in 2020, just before the pandemic hit. A year and a half later, our Regional VP Jack Panzer, reached out with this opportunity to buy Avante Print Center and convert it to International Minute Press. It was such a great opportunity that we couldn’t pass it up!” When asked why they chose franchising, Devin answers, “We have looked at other businesses and franchises, and were completely impressed with Minuteman Press International by comparison. The amount of hands-on guidance and support are second-to-none. In the past, we have always done businesses independently, and having the support of this franchise in particular was a great draw.” “Jack Panzer and his team were with us every step of the way; they made the sale as easy as it could be. Since buying the business, the support has been great. From the training to the in-store training with the local field staff, it has superseded our expectations in every way. Their patience and knowledge gave us the confidence we needed to enter a new industry for us.” -Devin Weiss, Owner, International Minute Press, Mesa, AZ (formerly Avante Print Center) Entering the Printing Industry Now that Devin and John are operating their business, they are excited to hit the ground running and continue the legacy that Carl and family started. Devin says, “We believe owning a business gives you a sense of pride. By purchasing an established business, we strive to honor our clients, our community, and our staff with continued outstanding service and support.” As a full-service printing and marketing services provider, Devin and John are excited to help other local businesses and organizations with virtually everything they need to operate and promote themselves. Devin says, “Wide format printing is especially exciting right now. There is such a wide variety of custom printed products that we can provide to our clients – we haven’t found anything we can’t do yet in-house or with the help of our franchisor and vendors.” As she reflects on owning a business vs. having a job, one word comes to mind for Devin: “Freedom!” She elaborates, While you have to put in many hours as the owner of a business, they are on your own schedule and with your own priorities. You decide what your life entails every day, and we wouldn’t trade that for the world! We love to travel and the freedom makes that possible.” Advice for Others Devin shares this advice for others who are looking to buy a business right now: “Do your due diligence. A positive attitude is a must. Survey other business owners about their experiences, both good and bad. There is a lot of preparation that goes into buying a business, and having a successful franchise to guide you is a great option. Ultimately, no matter how prepared you are, it is a learning experience!” International Minute Press is located at 218 West Hampton Avenue, Unit 13; Mesa, AZ 85210. For more information, call 480-969-4888 or visit https://minuteman.com/us/locations/az/mesa21. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press International franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. To find out how to sell your printing business through Minuteman Press International, visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 19, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

National Marrow Donor Program®/Be The Match® Implements Comcast Business Wavelength Services to Help Match Cancer Patients With Donors

Comcast Twin Cities

Comcast Business today announced that it is providing the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)/Be The Match®, the leading global leader working to save lives through cellular therapy with a 10 Gbps optical wavelength service. The high-capacity, low-latency network solution will help Be The Match strengthen network performance, keeping its clients and employees connected, and in turn helping to ensure that transplant donors are connected to patients in need. Be The Match provides patients access to more than 39 million donors worldwide who step up to donate their marrow or blood stem cells. By connecting patients with donors and delivering life-saving cells to them, Be The Match provides cures to patients with life-threatening blood cancers and 75 blood diseases. The organization continues to lead the way in developing new cellular therapies, and in improving transplant accessibility and outcomes. Conducting this life-saving research while supporting and connecting patients to the resources they need requires a high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection. “Our network is becoming more critical, especially as we move to the cloud. If our systems aren’t available, people’s lives could be at stake,” said Robert Hanson, Vice President, Information Security, Infrastructure and Architecture, at Be The Match. “Comcast Business’ network performance has been seamless.” Comcast Business Wavelength Services deliver superior connectivity over a dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) optical transport network with high levels of performance. Wavelength technology provides users with the ability to transport both Ethernet and non-Ethernet protocols. The point-to-point optical fiber network helps deliver data across several of Be The Match’s locations, including its headquarters in Minneapolis, its branch offices and its data center location. Since implementing Comcast Business’ services, Be The Match has been able to continue supporting patients across its various locations without concerns over network connectivity. Additionally, the reliable and fast network connections help position the organization for rising bandwidth demands and network growth, setting it up to serve its clients into the future. “To stay swift and competitive, businesses across industries continue to incorporate cloud and data center operations into their daily functions. With this will come the need for networking technology that can not only support the shifts in business today, but the continually rising bandwidth needs that the future demands,” said Wolfgang Lewis, Vice President for Comcast Business, Twin Cities Region. “Comcast Business is proud to support National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match with its network services and do its part in making a difference in our communities.” About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About National Marrow Donor Program®(NMDP)/Be The Match® The National Marrow Donor Program®(NMDP)/Be The Match® is the leading global partner working to save lives through cellular therapy. With more than 30 years of experience managing the most diverse registry of potential unrelated blood stem cell donors and cord blood units in the world, NMDP/Be The Match is a proven partner in providing cures to patients with life-threatening blood and marrow cancers and diseases. Through their global network, they connect centers and patients to their best cell therapy option—from blood stem cell transplant to a next-generation therapy—and collaborate with cell and gene therapy companies to support therapy development and delivery through Be The Match BioTherapies®. NMDP/Be The Match is a tireless advocate for the cell therapy community, working with hematologists/oncologists to remove barriers to consultation and treatment, and supporting patients through no-cost programs to eliminate non-medical obstacles to cell therapy. In addition, they are a global leader in research through the CIBMTR®(Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research®)—a collaboration with Medical College of Wisconsin, investing in and managing research studies that improve patient outcomes and advance the future of care. Contact Details Comcast Jill Hornbacher Jill_Hornbacher@comcast.com Finn Partners Chloe Huard chloe.huard@finnpartners.com Company Website https://twincities.comcast.com/

April 19, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Maple Bridging Digital Divide For Students And Educators

Maple

Maple, a provider of reliable, remote online access for students and educators, announced its fully portable and pocket-sized WiFi hotspot connectivity solution will be available to schools and libraries as a new Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) application window opens. The Federal Communications Commission's ECF program provides more than $7 billion to meet remote learning needs. Maple leaders encourage schools to obtain their learning solutions by utilizing the third ECF opportunity launching on April 28, 2022. Maple technology provides students and educators with online connection by utilizing a pocket-sized router with a fast and reliable network connection. The ease of use, superior connectivity, security, and 24/7 bilingual technical support, make Maple a well-received partner of school systems in the United States and globally. "Maple provides a safe and reliable solution that unlocks opportunities and bridges the digital divide for students. Our technology solutions support learning in the classroom, at home, and in the community, giving students safe access to the internet," explained Michelle Mirshokri, Vice President at Maple. "Our school partners appreciate the customized settings available that include restrictions on web surfing, geolocation, and verification options that ensure students have safe experiences learning online." Conventional and “legacy” hotspots lack features school districts need, creating logistical challenges and added costs. Maple technologies are superior, providing unique benefits more desirable for schools in managing and students in utilizing. The cloud management capabilities allow for ease of tracking (making it nearly impossible to lose devices). The remote monitoring and shutdown features ensure students use the technology properly and lost/stolen equipment is promptly deactivated (messages on how to return devices are also displayed on the hostspot’s digital screen). Most importantly, Maple hotspots feature a proprietary and patented SIM management technology, that prevents disruptions in service as devices can switch seamlessly between mobile carrier networks to provide an optimal signal at all times. There are no SIMs in devices to remove or lose, saving schools time and money associated with the management and logistics of their fleets. Any changes to access or service, including website restrictions, are implemented remotely. The security, quality of connection, and cloud management are unparalleled. Schools may use the funds they secure through the ECF program to procure Maple's technology. A new application window opens from April 28 through May 13, where schools may request 100% funding for student connectivity needs. Maple also provides schools with a white-glove service, with end-to-end assistance on everything from government funding applications to hardware setup and device deployment. "We are proud to play a role in supporting students as virtual learning continues to open doors for more opportunities and experiences," Mirshokri continued. "We hope to help thousands more access a reliable, high-speed connection suitable for online learning.” Representatives from Beth Rivkah Colleges described their experience with Maple stating, "With Maple devices, we're able to provide portable internet devices to all of our students in need. This aids us in ensuring that no child falls behind and misses out on vital learning with their teachers and peers and allows them to remain connected." "The Maple team is pleased to assist schools with the ECF application process. The opportunity to provide internet access to all students is too important to pass up," Mirshokri said. "Remote and hybrid learning is here to stay, and Maple hotspots are the great equalizer in bridging access for so many." About Maple Maple provides trusted technology solutions for schools, students, and libraries that close the bridge divide by delivering high-quality internet access that unlocks valuable educational experiences for students. Please visit https://www.mapleconnect.co/. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with a Maple spokesperson please contact Dan Rene of kglobal, at daniel.rene@kglobal.com or 202-329-8357. Contact Details kglobal Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 daniel.rene@kglobal.com Company Website https://www.mapleconnect.co/

April 18, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Agora Data Named as NIADA National Corporate Partner

Agora

Agora Data, whose suite of resources empowers independent auto dealers and finance companies to finance more non-prime customers, continues as a National Corporate Partner by the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA). Agora is committed to leveling the playing field for non-prime auto loan originators, a market that has long been underserved and underbanked. The company plans to offer NIADA's 20,000 independent dealers the same advantages typically reserved for big franchise operations. For example, Agora made history with the first-ever crowdsourced subprime securitizations in the auto industry. They were completed in December 2020 and May 2021, and more securitizations are underway. Agora also recently unveiled the first-ever reducing interest rate line of credit. These new offerings pave the way to an unlimited borrowing capacity, the lowest interest rates, and the highest advances without requiring personal guarantees. The company combines its innovative financial solutions with a groundbreaking technology platform that calculates the book value of non-prime auto loans. Dealers and finance companies can now determine the value of their portfolios using Agora's patent pending predictive modeling. With this information, dealers can track the performance of their portfolios and optimize the capital they need to fuel growth by using a line of credit or by opportunistically selling a portion of their loans. "A single objective drives Agora - to remove the barriers dealers and finance companies face when attempting to access needed capital." said Steve Burke, CEO of Agora Data, Inc. "As a former Buy Here Pay Here dealer, I know firsthand how tough this industry can be for even the brightest entrepreneurs. It is amazing how auto loan originators can grow when the odds are stacked against them, so imagine what they can accomplish if these obstacles are removed." NIADA has been supporting independent dealers for 75 years, so it is the perfect fit for a strategic industry partner, says Burke. "NIADA built its reputation on connecting dealers with the most effective solutions providers in our industry. Agora is honored to continue being counted among those trailblazers." Agora Data will be attending and exhibiting at the upcoming NIADA Convention & Expo being held June 20-23, 2022, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The company plans to announce and demonstrate many innovative advancements, all designed to fuel growth for dealers and finance companies. About Agora Data, Inc: Agora Data's platform delivers a suite of tools to empower independent auto dealers and finance companies to finance non-prime customers. Agora's family of auto finance products provides a wide range of critical funding paths so originators can obtain the cash they need to fuel growth, compete, and build wealth. Powered by patent pending technology, originators now have access to robust data analytics and planning resources to help optimize the performance of their portfolios. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever crowdsourced subprime auto securitization in 2020 and followed that up with its second transaction in early 2021. For more information, visit agoradata.com or contact us at 877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

April 18, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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